


Tents and Trust

by Tak



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-23
Updated: 2014-01-23
Packaged: 2018-01-09 18:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1149344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tak/pseuds/Tak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short little Fluff piece set in around act 2.<br/>I don't believe in that break Hawke and Fenris had nothing to do with each other, in fact in my mind they just sort of slowly got to know each other more intimately.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tents and Trust

They almost never shared a bed.  
Fenris could count on one hand the nights he and Hawke had spent together in the last years. Not nights spent in the throes of love, appendages intertwined clinging to each other in a combination of adoration, lust, and loneliness. Or nights staking out Cartha Thugs or dredging the Dark town sewers. But Quiet Nights together.  
They had begun their relationship in different houses, each with their own space, halls and rooms decorated with their own tastes and no fear of offence of any one else. It had not changed.  
He had stayed when she had needed him, when she was ill and after the the death of her mother, and she had stayed when he needed her, after Hadrianna. For two people who could fight seamlessly back to back as if they were the same being they had spent along time being very separate individuals.  
Smirking Hawke huffed "You can sleep with me, or Varric... Or Varric can sleep with me, I don't mind, but I'm not bunking with Anders."  
The Mage rolled his eyes at her joke but was thankful for being off the bunk mates list.  
"Tempting" Varric mused "but I have heard tales of you love birds and I would rather not ruffle your sheets so to speak."  
Cuffing the dwarf gently on the shoulder "You've heard the tales because you're spreading them." She laughed, Winking to Fenris.  
Varric shook his head waving her snide comment off as he retired into his claimed tent.  
Serious for a moment bravado washing away with the departure of friends she smiled tenderly at him, a gesture no others saw. "It is a mild night," she began softly "if you'd rather sleep alone, it wouldn't be the first time I've used a Mabari as a pillow and slept under the stars."  
"No," he said managing to hide that his heart was in his throat. "I couldn't do that to you."  
"Thank god" Hawke laughed "Morfudd is still covered in gods knows what." She began loosening her boots and gauntlets, laying her plate to one side, in a safe and orderly fashion. "I'd hate to think what I would smell like in the morning"  
He smirked laying his weapons and smaller armour pieces next to hers.  
"To be a Rogue or a Mage and have comfortable clothes."  
He chuckled in agreement but in truth he liked the layer between him and the world, he liked the spiky pauldrens that kept every one that step further away.  
She pulled the heavy canvas back with a small dip of her head "after you."

The canvas walls were not wide enough for two to be in cased with out touching, a foot rubbed his calf, a shoulder nudged his. Every time electricity ran from the spot through his body leaving a trail of goose bumps. Hawke rolled on her side propping her head up on one hand her red fringe dusting her eyes.  
She reached across her fingers stopping just before they touched his skin.  
"May I?" She asked gently.  
He swallowed and nodded, mumbling a quiet "yes" under his breath.  
Her finger started at the bridge of his nose, and with careful precision trailed up his forehead. Two more fingers joined the first and then caressed slowly around his brow down to his jaw. She trailed a lazy line up and down his throat, feeling the air push through his vocal chords as he moaned quietly. His eye lids fluttered but he didn't let them close.  
"You're still waiting for the hammer to fall." She whispered, felling his tension. Watching his eyes glitter in the dark like a vigilant feline.  
"Danarius was good at making you fell safe before..." He faltered.  
Her hand rested on his clavicle. "Fenris."  
He grabbed her hand. "Don't pity me." His green eyes slid to hers she wrapped her other hand around his.  
"Do not mistake Empathy for pity." Her voice dulcet yet Telling as she brought his hand to her lips. "I hold you in the highest regard,"  
He sighed feeling foolish for his quick words. "You're not like any human I have known."  
That smile from earlier tugged at her lips, he could see the corners past his hand.  
"Considering the humans you know, I'm flattered. Though I always envied Isabella's wit."  
he chuckled "your wit is formidable."  
"Her legs then? Why if I had legs like that I'd cast my Armour aside..."  
"Your legs are fine." He cut her off.  
"Fine? Well, if that's all..."  
"Oh hush." He said flicking the blanket over her. "You are fantastic." He scootched towards her to kiss her cheek.  
"You deserve no less." She whispered

Rhythmic beats washed any nightmares from his mind. Hawke's heart was so steady it put clocks to shame. Her lips brushed his crown, one hand lazily stroking his hair line and back of his neck. Fingers of free hands intertwined, tightly lacing.  
Leaving his hair she caressed his shoulders holding him as tight as he was holding her.  
Words were cheep, she wanted to tell him her hand would never raise to harm him, and that her tongue would never lie. But she understood trust was hard when you lived a life of betrayal and fear. So she kept quiet hoping her actions would speak for her intentions. Soon his breath deepened and she heard the faint sigh of his slumber.  
"Blessed are those who sleep warm and loved, In paramours arms guarded from evil"

Fenris stood in. The back room of his mansion the stone walls held little warmth despite the raging fire. His mind trailed back to the nights up the Sunder mount, warm despite only canvas protecting them. Comfortable despite sleeping outside. It was different than the last time he had slept on the road the weary traveler wandering alone.  
Varrics story's and hawkes banter kept the trek lively even Anders wasn't completely insufferable all the time.  
He was brought back to cold reality by the sound of paws on tiles and a hearty bark. The mabari hound galloped to him scrabbling to an excited stop before colliding with him.  
"I tried to knock." Hawke joked "but I think some one missed you." She leant on the door frame watching Morfudds elated display of affection.  
Finally after giving the pup long enough to wiggle himself silly, Hawke whistled. Snapping him to attention. With a nod of the head he moved to the hearth and sat attentively.  
"I have always wondered how it is you came In to possession of a mabari." Frenis asked her. The war hounds usually found amongst grey wardens, kings and knights not a young refugee from ferelden.  
striding forward she patted her shoulders with a sharp slap. The hound bounded to meet her and raised on his hind legs placing his paws on her shoulders. He could look her in the eye at that height. Showing truly what a monsterous size he was.  
She cupped his ears and rubbed them running them through her fingers pausing at the flat blunt cut ends.  
"Morfudd was just a pup when I met him, locked in a cage with 20 others, howling and crying and baying. Morfudd was going to be a fighter. 6months old and an utter powder puff, they cut his ears to make him look fierce, branded his hind quarters. But you're better now aren't you boy. "  
In answer the hound ran his large wet tongue up the side of her face. Hawk smiled through the disgusted grimace and he dropped to four paws again.  
"We re-homed every pup, but this this man," she chuckled quietly "it was like we were meant to be, as hurt as he was I wouldn't have trusted any one else with him."  
Morfudd barked in agreement, happy for what ever reason to be centre of attention again. Pats from one person wasn't enough moving back to Fenris he leaned heavily against his body until he received the attention he required.  
"See you dont own a Mabari so much as they choose you."  
"He must trust you a lot."  
"It goes both ways," she mused "takes a lot of faith to let something that big and deadly sleep in your bed." Her eyes met Fenris,  
Swallowing the lump in his throat from her heavy handed metaphor. "Danarius would say it made him feel powerful to keep dangerous beasts under his command, to make them heel."  
Hawke lets out a heavy sigh "it's a small and cowardly man that validates his existence by the subservience of others." She knelt to her bag and began rummaging, "no, Mabari respond to strength it's true, but they look for a good heart and a kind soul." She pulled two things from her bag and held them up triumphantly.  
"The real reason I am here. One more bottle for your store and one more book for your shelf."  
Fenris laughed "Is the test to drink the wine and see how well I read?"  
'I was going to leave you too it, but if that's how you'll play, i'd like to watch."  
They laughed together, heartily, until while passing the gifts from one to another fingers brushed. She faltered first her chuckle catching half way, forcing her to stop and breath.  
"I'd like it if you stayed." He told her before quickly adding "in case I need help with the words."  
"Of course," she smiled slyly. "Shall I find some glasses and you arrange the seating?"

They almost never shared a bed, but sometimes, while reading in front of the fire Hawke would nod off her head resting against his shoulder, her breath soft and steady in his ear. Or he would drift off his head in her lap listening to her soft words for now that was comfort enough.


End file.
